I'll Wait For You
by MoonlightGardenias
Summary: He was the one who was always there for her. He was the one who got her. SO why did Kate get the feeling that this time it would end badly?


**Author's Note: So I really shouldn't write this. But being the Jate fan I am, I feel compelled to. Has anyone seen the Jate centric ad for Wednesday? Pretty awesome. He'll come back for her, and while I know it's a long way to happy, at least she'll know. She has to. Anyway, without further procrastination...**

**Summary: He was the only one who was always there for her. He helped her through, helped talk her off of ledges. She was the one who helped him heal, and showed him that good could come out of bad. They shared pretty much everything, so why did she have a feeling that this time it would end badly?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Lost, but I wish I did.**

"Jack!"Kate called, feeling the strong hands of Sayid and Locke pulling her back.

She didn't believe it. If someone were to tell her, she wouldn't believe it. Kate would have asked to see it with her own two eyes. But she _was_ seeing it, and Kate still had trouble to believe it. Jack was playing football-smiling even...with the others.

"We have to _do_ something."Kate whispered, never peeling her eyes away from the man she had considered her friend. Thoughts swelled in her mind, of the reason she came back. She fought to get back to where they were standing in the brush and yet it seemed as if it had all been a waste.

"We have to stick together...don't do anything dangerous to reveal our position."Sayid said, crouching down. He stared directly at Kate, following her line of sight. "It may not be what it looks like."

"It's exactly what it looks like. We should go."She said, tears threatening to fall. Kate couldn't cry. She wasn't going to let herself.. Taking a breath, her lungs began to burn as she buried her nails into her palms.

"We came this far. What do we do?"Locke asked, needed to know the next step.

Kate shook her head, finding words useless. Jack's voice carried over, the sound of laughing on the wind. Swatting at a bug that had landed on her arm, she was unable to tear her gaze away from him.

Jack.

He was the one who was there for her. He was the one she was scared for when the rocks fell, trapping him in the caves. She was probably sure that by now they understood each other in a way that noone else could. At least she thought they did.

"Kate?"Sayid asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. He saw the pain, the confusion, swimming within her eyes. "We cannot leave. We need to do something."

Defiantly shaking her head, Kate couldn't move. Her feet were glued to the dried ground beneath them. She wanted so much to run towards him, to take her hands and shake him. Kate wanted to cry, to hit him repeatedly again and again and again. She knew there had to be more to the story, but it didn't look like it. Jack was actually shaking hands with the man he had been playing football with, and instantly, it was if the glass divider was between them again.

Remembering what Jack had told her-to not come back for him. Kate knew then and there that she would, the only question being with whom.

"Hey!"

The voice came, leaving them frozen. It was like a nightmarish dream as they watched the men running towards them, pulling their terrified limbs from the brush.

"Let me go! Just...let go."Kate cried, her feet stirring up dust. Through her muffled tears, blending in with her hair and beaded sweat, she caught Jack's glance. She saw his mouth form her name, but didn't hear him say it. "How could you do this, Jack? How could you just turn on us like this? I came back! How could you do this?"

"Kate, stop!"Locke insisted. "What you're doing isn't helping."

"Locke is right."Sayid said, intensely trying to pry away from his captors. "Will you let go? I know I have been captured, but I am afraid your grip is too tight."

The next thing Kate remembered was waking up in a pale white room, staring directly at the floor. Her head felt heavy, and the only thing she could find enough strength to do was breathe, but even that at this point proved to be difficult.

She tried to remember everything that had led up to that point. The reason was taking a while to resurface as the cold floor grated against her skin. Kate could see the scene burning into her eyes again, the sting of utter betrayal. Tears flooded her eyes, forming tiny pools on the floor beneath her.

Her mind floated to Sayid and Locke. Kate wondered what had happened to them, and prayed to whatever good there was left that they weren't harmed. They didn't deserve it. They didn't need it. All that they had done was come back with her, to retrieve their friend on a promise Kate had made.

Promise.

It was something that didn't seem anything but useless to Kate in that moment. She felt cold. Numb. It was rediculous to think that one game of football could do something like that to her. She wasn't even a fan of sports. Of course, back in the old days she never even had time, what with all the running from the police. But the reason behind it all did make sense. Jack.

At that moment, Kate was sure she couldn't say his name. Right now she was sure if she saw him, she'd remain speechless. Kate didn't hate him, and truth be told, she was beginning to see the exact opposite.

No. No, she couldn't love Jack. It just-it wasn't an option. It couldn't be. Not only did it not follow her rules, but Jack had betrayed them. He had joined the others in whatever he had done. He was happy now despite everything.

Pressing her palms into the concrete, Kate forced herself to sit up. Feeling her eyes burn, she instantly closed them, sobbing as she did. She didn't see the sense in trying to fight anymore. But at the same time, Kate couldn't give up. Pulling her hand up to pry the hair away from her face, she wasn't at all surprised to find that it was chained. Wincing, she saw the red mark that had already formed.

"I can take that off, you know."

Kate stared at the ground, instantly recognizing the voice. Her throat swelling, pleading with herself. She couldn't talk to him. She couldn't look him in the eye. She just couldn't.

"Kate, this isn't what you think."

She saw his shoes, and had gathered the fact that he was now crouched in front of her.

"So you're not talking?"

"How could you?"Kate whispered, still not meeting Jack's gaze.

"I told you not to come back for me, Kate."He whispered, shoving a bowl into her hands.

Kate stared down, her gaze blurred with tears. "Fruit. After everything you give me fruit?"

"We can't let you starve."Jack said.

She laughed, shaking her head. "You're unbelieveable, you know that?"

"Kate-"

Kate set the bowl on the ground, waving her chained wrist at him. "You said you could get this off."

"Kate, look at me."Jack said, brushing her cheek. "Kate."

"Why? What am I supposed to think, Jack?"Kate said, finally gathering the strength to look at him.

Jack shook his head, a sense of anger rising within him. "You shouldn't have come back."

"Because you were already on the other side."

"Because you could have gotten yourself killed!"

"I think this is worse."Kate confessed.

Jack sighed, standing. "Why did you come back?"

"Because I wanted to, okay? Because I thought that when I did, I would have a reason to. I thought that my friend would still be here."

Her words stung him, the sound of the light humming above them.

"So how are Sayid and Locke?"She asked, trying to come to grips with what was happening.

"I think you're lying."

"I asked you a question."

"All they told me to do was bring you some food, okay? I'm not supposed to do anything else. Come on, stand up."Jack said, pulling her up to face him. "Kate!"

"What am I supposed to say? It's been a long time coming? What, do they own you now, Jack? I'm sorry, but if this is the way it has to be, then you shouldn't have come to see me."

Jack shook his head in defiance, breathing heavily. "It wasn't what it looked like."

"It was exactly what it looked like. You can't do this, Jack. You can't lie to me."Kate cried, staring directly into his eyes. "You were throwing a football with that...guy. You were _happy, _Jack. You haven't been that happy in a long time."

Jack shook his head. "I have, Kate. Granted, not when we were here. But Kate, please-"

"Stop, Jack! Just stop pretending, okay? We both...we both know it's better this way. I slept with Saywer, so you agree to be on the other side, right? It's only fair. Karma."Kate herself was surprised by her reaction, and knew that this time she couldn't run away.

"Kate, please. Just eat, okay? I'll be back later to...to take you to Ben."

"To Ben? You two are on first name basis now, Jack?"Kate asked, finding his name even harder and harder to say. "Do you have any idea what he did to me, Jack? Do you? The...the day that we were taken here. When we got showers, or atleast I did. He-He made eat breakfast. And then he..he took me to this room."Kate said, shaking. "He tried to...he tried to rape me, okay? But I fought...I bit him, I kicked him. I couldn't do anything else, and this is how I get payed back!"

Jack fought for air, fought to keep control of his emotions. "Kate-"

"Just stop. Go. Now."

"It's a lie."

Silence.

"What?"

"Everything."Jack said. "Look, I know...I know what this looks like. I was playing football, yes. But Kate? I am _not_ on their side. When I saw them pulling you out of the bushes, I wanted to kill them. I love you Kate, and the thought of them doing anything hurt you...the thought of what Ben could have done...I just-"Jack stopped, lowering his voice even further. "They trust me, okay? I'm infiltrating the group, but everything will be okay."

He grabbed her chained wrist, pulling it to his lips. Gingerly, he kissed it. "I'll talk to them about the chain, Kate."He said, heading towards the doors.

"Jack-"

"I have to go. But I'll-"Jack stopped, finding the emotion coming over him. "I'll come back for you."

Kate sunk defeated against the wall. He _loved_ her? It couldn't be possible. It couldn't be happening. But it was.

Now all she had to do was wait.


End file.
